Re: [Leica] Off Topic - Point of Comparison

[Paul Chefurka <pchefurk@ca.newbridge.com>]

TEAShea@aol.com wrote:
> 
> Paul, thanks for the note.  Interestingly, I just received two flames from a
> couple of Leica guys who also are audiophiles and who really resented my
> implication that an $800 power cord may not be worthwhile.  Actually, it is
> difficult to tell what is snake oil and what may have some basis.  I am in the
> process of buying a new system and the research process is fascinating.
> 
> Tom Shea

I sometimes wonder at the apparent change in my audio perceptions
since I started paying more attention to my photography.  F'rinstance,
does the fact that I hear fewer differences between components now
(especially wires of various flavours) come from the fact that they
weren't there to begin with (placebo effect stuff) or because I'm
just not listening as critically as I used to?

To bring it back on topic, to people who know and love Leica
equipment, the visual effects of lens quality can be very important.
To someone who is not so involved, the subject matter and overall
image presentation are paramount - they couldn't care less whether
the subject has 200 apparent eyelashes or only 50!

These latter are the same people who listen for things like tempo,
phrasing and overall sonic effect, and really don't care whether
they can tell how far the second desk first violin is sitting
behind the first desk.

Of course there is hobby value in both approaches, in photography
as well as audio.  The perceptual quality of a sonic image or
a visual image derive strictly from those elements that the
perceiver chooses to value, and there are plenty of those
elements to choose between.

And it's a pure motherhood statement to observe that the
best of all possible worlds is the one in which both aspects
are present - quality in form *and* content.

Paul Chefurka